Aspartame ~ Can it cause Brain Damage ?

Fact or Myth: Can The Dangers of Aspartame Cause Brain Damage?Danica Collins |

This is a fact.

Check any local diner and the sugar containers on the table will inevitably hold more sugar packets than aspartame packets. The reason is that most people skip the sugar and reach for the aspartame instead, thinking it is a healthier choice. After all, aspartame has zero calories, so you think it won’t pack on the pounds, or make you crash after the sugar high wears off, right? Wrong!

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame interfere with the body’s ability to count calories, are highly addictive, promote sugar cravings and lead to weight gain. Even if you avoid adding the dangers of aspartame to your tea or coffee, this dangerous additive still lingers in the foods and beverages you consume.

Aspartame is an ingredient in more than 6000 popular food products, the majority of which are labeled “sugar-free” or “diet.” And your weight is not the only consequence of long-term aspartame consumption. Years of research have established the connection between dangers of aspartame and brain tumors, and a new study published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology reports that aspartame also leads to brain imbalances and oxidative stress.

Researchers found that male rats fed high doses of aspartame exhibited lower concentrations of the active, antioxidant form of glutathione and reduced glutathione reductase activity. Glutathione (pronounced “gloota-thigh-own”) is often referred to as the “master antioxidant” because it plays a key role in anti-aging, and the prevention of cancer, heart disease and dementia.

The rats also showed mild vascular congestion, a condition in which blood flow to the brain is obstructed. Researchers summarized, “The results of this experiment indicate that long-term consumption of aspartame leads to an imbalance in the antioxidant/pro-oxidant status in the brain, mainly through the mechanism involving the glutathione-dependent system.”

It’s All in the Ingredients

Aspartame is made up of two amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) and a methyl ester bond (wood alcohol) that is a known poison. What makes aspartame so dangerous is its unnatural concentration of amino acids. In nature, the proper balance of phenylalanine and aspartic acid is 4 to 5% each of the total amino acid. Such is the concentration of typical proteins such as meat and fish.

But the dangers of aspartame disrupts this natural balance with a ratio of 50% phenylalanine and 40% aspartic acid. Our bodies just aren’t made to process this ratio, and the results can often be catastrophic.

High levels of aspartic acid flood brain cells with too much calcium. In response, free radicals come in droves to destroy brain cells. The blood-brain barrier is supposed to keep toxins and aspartame out of the brain; however, excess aspartame too easily finds its way through this protective barrier, and produces “excitotoxins” that essentially “excite” or over-stimulate neurons to death.

According to retired neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, excitotoxins also significantly advance cancer cell growth and help spread cancer throughout the body. Unfortunately, 75% or more of the cells in a particular area of the brain are destroyed before any symptoms manifest. Some of the following conditions may be a sign of an aspartame reaction…

The FDA rejected aspartame at least 5 times. Notoriously corrupt and swayed by financial incentive, the FDA finally issued an approval of aspartame, but not because the sugar substitute passed any safety tests, on the contrary it failed them all. The FDA, encouraged by G.D. Searle Company (the makers of aspartame) swapped out the FDA chairman who firmly opposed aspartame use, and replaced him with Dr. Arthur Hill. Hill’s efforts to pass aspartame were still thwarted when the FDA rejected aspartame with a 3-4 margin. So what did Hill do? He added another member to the board for a 3-3 tie, passing aspartame for use by the America public with his tie-breaking vote.

Alternatives to Aspartame

If you feel the need to sweeten your tea or coffee, reach for a natural sugar substitute, but avoid highly processed brands such as Truvia and Purevia. Instead, you might want to try Stevia, a very sweet noncaloric substance obtained from the leaves of the stevia shrub, as your sweetener of choice.